V8 Pro or Bluefin

I’ve had an Epic V8 for a couple years and would like to upgrade to something a little faster but still pretty stable.

I am going to demo a V8 Pro and also a Fenn Bluefin this weekend. Any thoughts on either?

I am doing mostly fitness paddling on flat water. I would think the Bluefin would be very stable but not sure how much faster it would be than the v8 if at all.

The V8 Pro would obviously be a bit faster but we’ll see if it has enough stability for me.

I am a little over 70kg, on the thin side if it matters.

Thanks in advance!

All 3 are great boats. The bluefin would barely be considered an upgrade from v8. They are about the same width. V8pro is an upgrade. For flat water, you should have no problem getting used to v8pro. The bluefin is considered by some to surf better than v8pro as it has more rocker, which probably hurts it’s flat water speed. If you are not looking for downwind wave riding, I think v8pro is best option for you. It is very popular and some say just as fast as the next epic, v10Sport. In Fenn’s lineup, “XT S” or “XT” would be upgrades from v8. As to your original question: Get the v8pro.

I’d be surprised if you didn’t decide on the V8Pro. It’s a really nice ski although it nosedives like a bastard in downwind conditions. That is unlikely to be a problem for you paddling in mostly flat water. The Blue fin is superior to the other two for downwind paddling but that ability will be wasted if you are not paddling in such conditions.

Thanks guys. Tested out a v8 Pro this morning and that's definitely the boat for me. Only odd thing was the foot brace would squeak a lot every time I pushed with my heel. I am assuming it was just that particular ski and not v8 Pro in general.

Hey Jaydee,

I just picked up a blacktip v8pro a couple of weeks ago. Coming from a sea kayak background I think it’s a great boat. I demoed a v8, v8pro, v10sport, and g2 v10. The good old v8 was almost identical to my sea kayak performance wise. Too stable and kind of boring. The v10 sport was great, but the bucket seemed a little large to me. The v10 had amazing glide but was a bit twitchy for me. Knowing I usually paddle in mixed up water on the Chesapeake Bay, the v8pro was the ski for me. I’ve had it out in all kinds of conditions including a small craft advisory without 3’ breaking waves and strong currents. I’ve sprinted up to 8.8mph and can cruise around 6mph. I’m hoping with better technique I can get that speed up to about 7mph. For me, it’s a great entry level ski.

Thanks EP, definitely agree the v8 Pro is the best boat for me (the handles are a big plus compared to v10 sport), now I just need to find one!